Catching Great Lakes Pacific Salmon, with Trent Jackcon

I get frequent questions on targeting introduced Pacific salmon in the Great Lakes region, so I invited an expert [interview starts at 33:13] to give us guidance on where and when to fish for them, tackle to use, and recommended flies. Trent Jackson, fishing manager of Orvis Grand Rapids, is a lifelong Michigan resident and has been fishing for Great Lakes salmon and steelhead his entire life. He gives us a great overview of this fishery, and is a great example of the rich talent we offer in our retail stores.

In the Fly Box this week, we have a number of perceptive questions and suggestions from listeners, including:

Why do I have trouble hooking trout with a 10-foot, 3-weight rod when using unweighted flies? Can I use the Hydros Salmon/Steelhead line for tightline fishing with a 20-foot leader? If I have both smallmouth and stocked trout in my river this fall, how can I fish for both of them? A listener takes me to task for killing fish for the table by "bashing them in the head with a rock", and gives us the preferred way to kill fish for the table, using a Japanese method called ikejime.

If I have a limited budget, should I spend more money on my waders or wading shoes?

Why did brook trout inhale my streamer one day and only chase it the next?

Once a running fish is on the reel, should I take my fingers off the line?

When you talk about a 9-foot leader, is the tippet included in that length? And should I tie a new tippet directly to my leader without modification?